Policy: ANU Drill hall gallery and art collection

Purpose

To inform the community, staff and members of the ‘ANU Drill Hall Gallery and Art Collection Advisory Committee’ on the management of the Drill Hall Gallery and Art Collection.

Overview

This policy sets principles for the exhibition, acquisition, and management of University artworks.

Scope

This Policy applies across the University.

Policy Statement

Introduction

It is the policy of the University to build and maintain a collection of excellence which reflects significant developments in Australian art and to promote a broader understanding of visual culture with special reference to the University's educational and outreach priorities.

Principles

Exhibitions

It is the policy of the Drill Hall Gallery to enhance the reputation of The Australian National University (ANU) as a patron, teacher and researcher of the visual arts by:

presenting a selective program of diverse and stimulating exhibitions that highlight achievements in contemporary visual arts, both nationally and internationally;
supporting link exhibitions developed in conjunction with the University's wide ranging academic interests and major conferences and public events;
showing exhibitions of a historical or social context or nature offered by touring agencies, including national, state and regional galleries, University galleries and overseas public cultural agencies;
presenting lectures and seminars in conjunction with its exhibitions that will have a broad educational role; and

exhibiting work which would not usually be shown by a commercial/private gallery, such as work from public or private collections, work of an ephemeral nature, or work which is in other ways not commercially oriented.

Acquisition

Recognising that The ANU is the owner and custodian of a significant part of Australia's cultural heritage, it is the policy of the ANU Art Collection to:

acquire works of art of demonstrable excellence and significance within the perceived developments of contemporary Australian art;
purchase works of art by significant contemporary Australian artists;
acquire recent works of significant contemporary Australian artists who are already represented in the Art Collection of artists who have specific links with the ANU;
ensure that outdoor sculpture is acquired for campus grounds and that the commissioning of sculptures for specific sites is included;
give special consideration to the acquisition of at least one significant work by an emerging Australian artist every year;
ensure that the Art Collection demonstrates a commitment to fair representation and diversity;
ensure that a particular opportunity to acquire an exceptional work of art is acted upon; and
encourage gifts to the Art Collection with a view to enhancing its general congruence.

Arts Education and Engagement

In fostering community activities, the Drill Hall Gallery will:

develop a major public art collection for the purpose of demonstrating the University's commitment to the study, patronage and advancement of the visual arts;
foster a general awareness and understanding of the visual arts among the University community and members of the general public through education and other outreach activities;
enable research on the visual arts and support the teaching programs of the University;
acquire works of art suitable for the purpose of enhancing the public areas, both buildings and grounds, of the University; and
provide a high standard of curatorial care and management of a major University and national asset.

De-accessioning

In respect of de-accessioning, it is the policy of the ANU Art Collection that:

such action is only considered in exceptional circumstances;
all art objects at the ANU are deemed to be owned by the ANU and none can be de-accessioned without following the principles laid out under this policy;
the ANU Drill Hall Gallery and Art Collection Advisory Committee, in conjunction with the Curator (Collections), reviews all proposals for de-accession; and
Gifts made under the Australian Federal Government’s Cultural Gifts Program are not returned to the donor as the donor has already received the benefit of a tax deduction for the gift.

As a non-profit organisation, the Drill Hall Gallery has a policy of not selling any of the works that it exhibits.

Information	Printable version (PDF)
Title	ANU Drill hall gallery and art collection
Document Type	Policy
Document Number	ANUP_000368
Version
Purpose	This procedure sets out the mechanisms relating to the ownership, management and curation of the ANU art collection, the operation of the ANU Drill Hall Gallery and the establishment of an advisory committee.
Audience	Staff
Category	Administrative
Topic/ SubTopic	Buildings & Grounds - Art Collection

Effective Date	16 Oct 2024
Next Review Date	15 Oct 2029

Responsible Officer:	Director, Drill Hall Gallery
Approved By:	Vice-Chancellor
Contact Area	Drill Hall Gallery and University Art Collection
Authority:
Delegations	247
Information generated and received by ANU staff in the course of conducting business on behalf of ANU is a record and should be captured by an authorised recordkeeping system. To learn more about University records and recordkeeping practice at ANU, see ANU recordkeeping and Policy: Records and archives management.

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